Canadian public opinion is solidly behind the government’s foreign policy on Iran, according to an Angus Reid survey released Wednesday that found 72% support for the recent decision to suspend diplomatic relations with the Islamic regime.

Although analysts and former ambassadors have criticized Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird for cutting ties with Tehran, the poll found broad approval for the move across the political spectrum of respondents.

The poll highlighted the grim view that Canadians now hold of Iran: 81% said they had an “unfavorable opinion” of the country and 72% believed Tehran was attempting to develop nuclear weapons.

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Mario Canseco, vice president of Angus Reid Public Opinion, said the results may reflect the many reasons that Canadians are upset at Iran: from its nuclear program to its suppression of domestic political dissent. “They’re just not a likable bunch,” he said.

While Canadians are usually evenly divided on Middle East issues, the poll reported a rare consensus on Iran regardless of political affiliation. While support for ending ties with Iran was highest among Conservatives (86%), most NDP (67%), Liberal (70%) Bloc (75%) and Green (51%) voters also approved.

There’s a little sense of irony there because you get 30% who say we should engage diplomatically as an international community

But the poll found less agreement on how the international community should deal with Iran. Only 12% backed a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, while 5% wanted a full-scale invasion. The options most favored were economic sanctions (29%) and diplomatic talks (30%).

“There’s a little sense of irony there because you get 30% who say we should engage diplomatically as an international community. Well, we can’t really do that if we break off diplomatic ties,” Mr. Canseco said.

The survey of 1,002 Canadian adults was conducted Sept. 17 to 18. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.5%, 19 times in 20.

Mr. Baird announced on Sept. 7 he had closed Canada’s embassy in Tehran and given Iranian diplomats five days to leave Ottawa. He cited Iran’s military support for the Syrian regime, the “military dimensions” of its nuclear program, “racist anti-Semitic rhetoric,” “incitement to genocide,” and an “appalling” human rights record.

Last Friday, he linked the move more directly to concerns over the safety of Canadian diplomats following Ottawa’s designation of Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism, saying the embassy in Tehran was “not as safe as we’d like it to be.”

The Iranian government responded through the state-controlled press by decrying the “extremist government” of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and claiming Canadian foreign policy was being dictated by Israel.

“Israelis have penetrated so deep into the Canadian government that they are now making important decisions for Canadian citizens,” wrote Javad Jahangirzadeh, a member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

“And so these are the challenges that we have and we really have to think as a community, as a united community of Muslims in Canada, you know, to get involved in the political process,” said the imam, who was affiliated with an Islamic school suspended by the Toronto school board this year over its Iranian-produced curriculum.

“We cannot just sit down and complain, you know, we have to find ways, according to the system which exists here, in order to have impact so that the foreign policy of Canada at least goes back to the way it was before, which was respected almost globally with all the communities and nations around.”

But Avi Benlolo, president and CEO of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre, which supported the government’s decision on Iran, said the “re-assertion that Canada’s foreign affairs is being handled by Israel is insulting to the majority of Canadians.”